Stock shocks with 2 inch spacers

[King Nothing]

I’ve got a cheap Iron Rock Off-road spacer lift that came with shock extensions. I HATE the extensions and want them off my truck but can’t squeeze new shocks into the budget right now. Can I run the stock shocks without the extensions strictly on the road?

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[mx5red]

Why not run the extensions? They function just fine and your shocks will not be overextended all the time

 

[ShadowsPapa]

your shocks will not be overextended all the time

Question -
Why would they be overextended "all the time".

I can see them maxing out on pavement dips and such. Around town here you'd top them out once in a while with a 2" lift............... but - I'm running 1.5" over stock and have never topped out my shocks.

 

[mx5red]

“All the time” meaning occasionally when speeding over big bumps in town, or pretty frequently when off-roading. I wasn’t being literal.
My point was, there isn’t much extra shock travel if you’re starting 2” closer to full extension. And the shock extensions work.

I get it, I don’t like the idea of them. I have shock skids sitting in a box because they won’t fit over the shock extensions. I’d get longer suspension travel if I had correct length shocks for my lift. But hey, I didn’t want to spend money on new longer shocks, either. Compromises.?‍

 

[Main Line Willys]

I think you will be OK without the extensions.
Clayton says you can use stock shocks with their 1.5 leveling kit.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I think you will be OK without the extensions.
Clayton says you can use stock shocks with their 1.5 leveling kit.

Works fine with my 1.5" front lift. Granted, it's not 2 inches, but I've never topped out.
Maybe 2" is pushing it but has anyone actually raised their JT and let the front axle droop and checked to see how far the shocks were from topping out by taking one loose and seeing how much farther it extends?

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Whatever you want.
I don't get the aversion to shock extensions, but hey.

If you want to know how much down travel it gives you: With the vehicle supported by either the tires or the axle, don't connect the bottom of the front shock and measure the distance between the bottom connecting points when it's fully extended.
That's how much down travel you will get without extensions. I would consider 4 in minimum acceptable down travel.

has anyone actually raised their JT and let the front axle droop and checked to see how far the shocks were from topping out by taking one loose and seeing how much farther it extends?

Above is how I do it all the time. It works swimmingly. The front measurement is very precise, the rear which is not as crucial, (or more crucial if under load,) requires a little mathing because of the angle.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Question -
Why would they be overextended "all the time".

I can see them maxing out on pavement dips and such. Around town here you'd top them out once in a while with a 2" lift............... but - I'm running 1.5" over stock and have never topped out my shocks.

Stock Gladiator front shocks have 8” of travel and ride about in the middle of their stroke. So 4” up and 4” down.

Adding a 1.5” spacer will change that to 5.5” up and 2.5” down. Changing that 50/50 ratio to 31/69.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Stock Gladiator front shocks have 8” of travel and ride about in the middle of their stroke. So 4” up and 4” down.

Adding a 1.5” spacer will change that to 5.5” up and 2.5” down. Changing that 50/50 ratio to 31/69.

Great, someone trying to use math to demonstrate a logical point.

Question - is that 8" of travel true for ALL Gladiators? What about Rubicon vs. Sport vs. Overland?
It would seem to me that the Rubicon could be different. I've never found any info on the Overland (or Sport)

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

Great, someone trying to use math to demonstrate a logical point.

Question - is that 8" of travel true for ALL Gladiators? What about Rubicon vs. Sport vs. Overland?
It would seem to me that the Rubicon could be different. I've never found any info on the Overland (or Sport)

I suppose it could be less travel for the non Rubi models. I don’t know for sure, I didn’t check the travel on my stock shocks when they were removed.

I just checked specs on a few stock shocks listed at Rockauto. There is a Monroe 37380 listed as a stock replacement and it only has 5.94” of travel. They also list a Rancho RS77063 that has 7.44” of travel, but it’s listed as a replacement for all models including the Rubi.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I suppose it could be less travel for the non Rubi models. I don’t know for sure, I didn’t check the travel on my stock shocks when they were removed.

I just checked specs on a few stock shocks listed at Rockauto. There is a Monroe 37380 listed as a stock replacement and it only has 5.94” of travel. They also list a Rancho RS77063 that has 7.44” of travel, but it’s listed as a replacement for all models including the Rubi.

Wow, 6 compared to 8? That's a heck of a difference.
I should have measured mine when it was last apart for springs - not a big deal to take the totally off and use my long clamps to compress them and measure.

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Stock Gladiator front shocks have 8” of travel and ride about in the middle of their stroke. So 4” up and 4” down.

Adding a 1.5” spacer will change that to 5.5” up and 2.5” down. Changing that 50/50 ratio to 31/69.

There's at least one model JT which only has 2.5" of uptravel due to bump stops and I don't think that translates into 5.5" of shock downtravel. Maybe other models too.

 

[mx5red]

Fortunately, there is a thread about shock lengths.
They don’t list JT sport/overland but JL and JT rubicon shocks have same lengths. I’m guessing JT sport equates to JL.
JL sport shock stroke 5.88” front/7.13” rear
JL/JTR shock stroke 7.88” front/8.5” rear

So to circle back to the OP, you’d be putting your shocks closer to full extension, and the shocks are probably the limiting factor for drooping the suspension which may or may not matter to you depending on how much you go rock crawling/off-roading or whatever. You could droop/articulate further if you had the extensions.
HOWEVER that Iron Rock off road spacer lift doesn’t look like it comes with bump stops. shocks can limit droop, but they will get damaged if they are compressed to/past their limit… you want your bump stops to hit before your shocks bottom out.
I can’t believe they would sell shock extensions without knowing for sure the shocks won’t fully compress and damage them… but, I would make sure of that if I were using the extensions without bump stops.
My AEV 2” spacer lift came with extensions and 2” bump stops, for example, but that’s also partly to keep bigger tires out of your fender liners.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

There's at least one model JT which only has 2.5" of uptravel due to bump stops and I don't think that translates into 5.5" of shock downtravel. Maybe other models too.

Forget the numbers I mentioned. I can’t verify them and I don’t know the specs of all the stock Gladiators.

With a stock setup, the shocks usually ride near the middle of their stroke. Adding a spacer and not using shock extensions obviously changes that relationship and the shock no longer rides in the middle of its stroke.

I was responding to:

Question -
Why would they be overextended "all the time".

 

[Pescatoral Pursuit]

Forget the numbers I mentioned. I can’t verify them and I don’t know the specs of all the stock Gladiators.

With a stock setup, the shocks usually ride near the middle of their stroke. Adding a spacer and not using shock extensions obviously changes that relationship and the shock no longer rides in the middle of its stroke.

I was responding to:

Question -
Why would they be overextended "all the time".

And I was merely adding that you may not get that 4 inches of suspension travel both ways from the factory.

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